Reduction-gearing.



G. WESTINGHDUSE.

'nnnuccnon GEABIHG. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

1,031,758. Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SKBETS*SHEET l.

HIS ATTORNEY IN" FACT.

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' INVENTOR.

G. WESTINGHOUSE. REDUCTION GEARING. APPLICATION rump r212. 11, 1910.

1,031,758." PatenedJu1 9,1912.

By A

1-115 ATTORNEY IN FACT.

mums runs.mcuumnumsmncrm n c i .ICE-s GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

Reposition-enemas.

Application filed. February 11, 1910. Serial No. 543,372;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTING- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of- Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Reduc tion-Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reduction gearing and has for an object the production of gearing for transmitting power from tur bines or other high speed motors to apparatus to be run at lower speeds.

A further'object ofthis invention is to produce a reduction gearing in which the distribution of pressure on the teeth of the gears in transmitting power is automatically adjusted and equalized.

These and other objects which will readilyappear to those skilled in this art, I attain in the device described in the specifi- =cation and illustratedin the drawings accompanying the same and throughout which like elements are denoted by like characters.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partially in plan and partially in section of a device embodying this invention and Fig. 2 is a sectio'nalelevation of such. device.

The device consists of a pair of pinions 3 formed ixitegral with or mounted rigidly upon a spindle or shaft t journaled in three alined bearings f'), 6, and 7 If desired, the

spindle t may be made hollow and a shaft 8 projecting within the hollow spindle 4 maybe secured thereto by means ofaweb or diaphragm connection as is'now common. The shaft 8 with its connection to thespindle -4 "which will preferably be adjacent bearing 5, accomplishes the same purpose as though the spindle 4- were materially length-I cried; and this shaft 8 by-mea-ns of a flexible coupling 9 of any desired construction is adapted to be connected to shaft" 10 which 'maybe the shaft of a turbineor any other relatively high speed motorpthespeedf of which it isdesired to reduce. I

A shaft 11 which is adapted to be con: nected, by any suitable means to the thing, such 'as a propeller shaft or other device which it is desired to drive from the high speed motor at a reduced speed, is jour:

naled in bearings 12. Shaft-'11 is prefer Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul 9, 1912.

ably formed hollow and in two parts bolted together by means of bolts 13.' Between the two portions of the shaft a steel plate or diaphragm 14 is secured and to this plate the two gear Wheels 15 of the wheel portion of the reducing gear are secured by means of bolts 16.

The gear wheels which together form a rigid gear element or member are made up of sections 117- 17 on' which the teethare cut and sections 18-18 which are secured'to diaphragm 1 1 by meansofbolts 16, and to which sections. 18-18, sections 17l7 are secured bymeans of bolts 19. .The gear wheel thus formed is supported on shaft 11' by means of supporting-webs 2020, preferably formed integral with sections 18-18.f

Each web JO-is machined at 21 so as to form an annular concave surface which with an annular convex surface 22 formed on an enlarged centralportion 23 of shaft 11 forms a ball and socket joint between the gear wheel and 'its shaft 11. Diaphragm 14 serves as the driving agent between. the gear wheel and its shaft and of course'to some extent helps to support the gear wheel on the shaft. -Each web- 20 is provided, with a sleeve portion 21 which surrounds the shaft 11 and is providedwith a bearing surface 25. A yoke member 26 bears against bearing surface 25 and is carried by a strut 27,

the outer end of which is formed pointed,

and tests within a socket formed. in the end of an adjusting screw 28.

Adjusting screw 28 is threaded through 'an-openingtherefor in the main frame 29 with a cover portion secured to it by means ofbolts 33. r

Inthe device illustrated the gears are provided with spiral teeth but it will be understood that straight; Teeth may if desired be utilized but withv somewhat less efficiency. With spiral teeth arranged as illustrated, when the pinion and gear mema hers "are in action the longitudinal position "of-the'pinion member is determined by the I a'ction of'thelspiral: teeth; that is, the pinnecessity be used in reducing thespeed be-v tween a relatively high speed turbine and 2o ion'fwhich is capable of longitudinal movementwithin'its bearings will be moved to and held in justthe proper position by the teeth. .The flexible coupling between the motor shaft 10' and the pinion member, fwhich inreality includesshaft 8v and the flexible coupling, 9, must beformed' so that it can only exert a rotary torque on the :15.

pinion member and. no forceaxially when the device is in perfect adjustment.

-In making large gears 'such as will of aslow speed propeller shaft it. is practically impossible to .cut' the gear teeth so accu-- rately-and to assemble the device so perfectly that if rigidly mounted gears and pinions were used the pressure distribution on the" teeth under load would be uniform.

If the tooth pressure is not uniform or evenly distributed the gears will not onlyimduly wear but will be liable to tear themselves-topieces.

utilizing the flexible diaphragm 14 and the ball-and socket joint for mounting the wheel member so that it has freedom of vmovement relative to the shaft which car- 'rie's it' I provide a reducing gearing in which "the tooth pressures are -automatically adjusted and evenly distributed. It will be seen that if the alinement of the gear member and the pinion member is not correct the flexible diaphragm and the ball and socket joint will allow the gear member to accom modate itself to this misalinement. The ball and. socket joint will also-permit the gear member to freely move independent of its mounting shaft to take care of an v.ir-' regularities in the teeth of either the gear member or the-pinion member so that the tooth pressures will be automatically ad justed;

1 Whilethe gearsof the gear member and pinion memberare shown separated, it will beapparent. that they may be placed close together if desired; of course leaving room for the flexible diaphragm-and its mountyings. The diaphragm if desired may vbe utilized in the 'nion member, rather than inthe gear member and the shaft 11 carr v ing the gear member may be formed as a through shaft and the diaphragm formed with an opening surrounding the same. In

fact many departures from the exact con- -st-ruction- 'il1ustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention so long as one or the otherof the membersis mounted so that it has freedom of move:

ment with respect to its mounting shaft in a plane perpendicular to the plane passing through the axes of the two members. The

flexible diaphragm 14, if itis desired, may

be made up of a number of separate plates coextensive in extent with diaphragm 14 or of varying sizes similar to the leaves of a spring, or if desired,,the diaphragm maybe corrugated, The struts 27 limit the freedom of movement of the gear member to a plane including the axis of the gear member and perpendicular to the plane including the axes of'the gear and pinion members when. the device is at" rest. This i'snecessary as otherwise the device would beunstable.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described theprinciple of operation of my invention together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but

I desireto have it understood that the ap--' paratus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means,

What I claim is:

1. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears,- a shaft for oneof said gears and a flexible driving member between said gear and said shaft constructed so as-to, allow relative angular motion between the gear axes. v

2. 'In reduction gearing, in'termeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears and a diaphragm connection between saidg'earand said shaft whereby relatlve angular -ing connection between said shaft and said gear.

5. In reduction gearing. intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a ball and socket joint between said shaft and said gear, the center of which is located in the axis of said gear, and a driving connection between said shaft and said gear constructed so as to allow relative angular motion between said shaft and said gear in all directions. v

6. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft forone of said gears, adriving connection betweensaid gearand said shaft constructed so as to allow relative angular motion therebetween, and means scarves for said motion to a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the'plane inoludingthe axes of said gears at rest.

7. In reduction gearing, intermeshing 'gears, a shaft for one ofsaid gears, a

flexible driving member between said gear and said shaft constructed so as to allow relative angular motion.- therebetween, and

'j including the axis of'said shaft and pen means for limiting said motion to a plane 'fp endicular to the plane including the axes of said gearswhen at rest.

8. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a diaphragm connection between said gear and said shaft WhQI'EbY IGlQtlQ angular motion therebetween is permitted, and means for limiting said motion to 'a plane including bet-ween said shaft and sa1d gear, adrlvmg connection between said shaft and said gear,

and said gear except in a plane including 4 and means for limiting said angular motion to a plane. including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axesofsaid gears whenat rest.

10. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a ball andsocket joint between said shaft and saidv gear, the center of which is located in the axis of 'sald gear, and means for preventing reiativdangular motion between said shaft the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axes of said gears when at rest. j

11. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a ball and socket joint between said shaft and said gear, the center of which isdocated'in the axis of said gear, a driving connection be tween said shaft and said gear and means for preventing relative angular motion between said shaft and'said gear except in a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axes'of said gears when at rest.

12. In. reduction gearing. intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of sald gears,-a'dr1v" mg connection between sald gear andsaid shaft constructed so as to ,allow relative angular motion therebetween,-and adjustable' means for limiting said motion'to a plane including the axis of said shaft and .perpendicular to the plane including the axes of said igears at rest.

13. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of sa1d gears, a

flexible driving member betweensaid gear and said. shaft constructed-so as to allow relative angular motion therebetween, and" adjustable means for limitin' said motion-to a, plane including the axis 0 said shaft-and perpendicular to the plane including: axes of said gears when at rest.

14. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said-gears, a diaphragm connection between sa1d gear. and

said shaft whereby relative angular motion therebet-ween is permitted, and adjustable means for limiting said motion to a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axes of said gears when at rest.

'15. In reduction gearing,- intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a ball and socket joint between said shaft and said gear for allowing relative angular motion between said shaft and said gear, a driving connection between saidshaft and said gear, and adjustable means for limiting saidangular motion to a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axes of said gears whenat rest.

16. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears, a ball and socket joint between said shaft and said gear, the center of which is located in the axis of saidvgear, a driving connection. be: tween said shaft and its gear, and adjustable means for preventing relative angular motion between said shaft and said gear except in a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to the plane including the axes of said gears when at rest.

17. In reduction gearing, intermeshing gears, a shaft for one of said gears; a ball and socket joi'ntbetween said shaft and said gear, the center of which is located in file axis of said gear, a driving connectioh l tween said shaft and said gear and adjustable means for preventing relative angular motion between said shaftand said gear except in a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to theplane including the axes of said gears when at rest.

18. In.- reduction gearing, a-shaft carrying a pinion member, a'gear member meshing therewith, ash-aft for said gear member,

a ball and socket joint between said gear member and said shaft, a diaphragm driving connection between said gear member and said shaft and adjustable struts contacting with said gear member for limiting the angular. motion between said gear member and its'sh'aft to a plane including the axis of said shaft and perpendicular to a plane including the axis. of said shaft and pinion.

1.9. In reductiongearing, a pinion memher,- agear meshing therewith, a shaft for said gear, a connection between said shaft and gear constructed-s0 as to allow relative subscribed my name this 8th day of Februangularlllnotionhbetween said shaft am}l gear, ary, 1910. 1 due to te toot pressures encountere during operation, and means for so limiting y WESTINGHOUSE 5 said motion enco'untered that said gearing is Witnesses:

stable, C. W. MCGHEE',

In testimonv whereof, I have hereunto JNo. S. GREEN. 1 

